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tung oil

American  
[tuhng] / tʌŋ /

noun

  1. a yellow drying oil derived from the seeds of a tung tree, Aleurites fordii, used in varnishes, linoleum, etc.


tung oil British  
/ tʌŋ /

noun

  1. Also called: Chinese wood oil.  a fast-drying oil obtained from the seeds of a central Asian euphorbiaceous tree, Aleurites fordii , used in paints, varnishes, etc, as a drying agent and to give a water-resistant finish

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of tung oil

1880–85; tung < Chinese tóng tung tree

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

See Examples For:

John Pemberton, founder of San Francisco-based Carlysle Manufacturing, uses tung oil to keep his wood furniture pieces clean and protected and to bring out the grain’s natural richness.

From Washington Post Aug. 1, 2016

This was where the tung oil plant was.

From Washington Times Apr. 11, 2015

The floors, made of random-width pumpkin pine, have been hand-sanded and finished with tung oil.

From New York Times Aug. 8, 2010

If you want the darker color that tung oil would create, he suggests using Lithofin MN Colour Intensifier, which is also a penetrating sealer, rather than the basic version.

From Washington Post

The lusterless surface produced when tung oil varnishes are dried in vitiated air would tend to confirm the conclusion that the oil is very subject to atmospheric influences.

From Paint Technology and Tests by Gardner, Henry A.

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